Improvement in dumb-bells



` D. l?. BUTLEB, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IM PROVEM ENT IN DUM B,BELLS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.48,514, dated July 4,186.5.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, D. P. BUTLER, ofBoston,in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented Improved Dumb- Bells; and I do hereby declarethat thefollowing, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies andforms part of this specification, is a description of my inventionsufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

This invention has for its object the production of dumb-bells (such asare used for exercise) having the form and proportion of the commondumb-bells, and capable of graduation as to weight and size withoutaffecting the general form or symmetry of the article under suchgraduations 5 and the invention consists in the peculiar construction ofnested dumbhells capable of dissection for the purposes of graduation asto weight and size, and of preserving, under such changes, the samecommon form, which is generally that ot' oblate spheroidal balls unitedby a cylindricallyshaped handle.

The drawing represents a view of my iniproved dumb-bells, partl yinsection and partly in elevation. 4

a denotes an axial spindle; b,ahollowhandle, made in two parts, placedupon and surrounding the spindle.

c d represent a series of hollow semi-spheroidal shells nested togetherand overan inner spheroid, c, which may be in either one or two parts,and maybe made as a shell or shells, or may be solid, with the exceptionof a central aperture. The inner shells, d, and one-haltet' l thespheroid c t upon the stem a, and eachis provided with a suitable lip orliange, upon which the corresponding outer shell or semispheroid ts, theadjacent lips or ang'es on each setof shells formin gtogether a halvedjoint. Each shell c has a central hole, f, into which the end or head ofa screw, g, fits, and the spindle a has a `female screw-thread, intowhich the thread of the screw g works. By this means the two series ornests of shells are held together, and upon opposite ends of the spindlea, as seen in the drawing, the two inner semi-spheroids or shellsabutting against the shoulders formed by the ends of the handle b, oragainst rings 7c, interposed between the shell and the handle, and beingthereby held at the proper distance apart, each shell having ashouldered recess, i, which ts over the adjacent ends of the sectionalhandle, or over a flange upon the ring k, the ring being also recessedto fit over and coutnc the two parts of the handle together.

By the interposition of rings it will be evident that the distancebetween the shells can be increased at pleasure, thereby lengthening thehandle, while by making the handle sectional it may be readily changedfor a longer or` shorter handle, or for one of dii'erent shape, ascircumstances or fancy may dictate or require.

Now, it will beV obvious that each end of the spindle may have fastenedupon it any two of the shells which tit together, and only those two, orit may haveanynumber, from the smaller single spheroid e up tothe wholenest, as shown in the drawing, and the handle b may be substituted by alonger or shorter handle, to graduate the distance apart of the bells atpleasure. Thus it will be seen that the instrument combines a capabilityof change or graduation as to weight and size with a construction whichpreserves the same general and symmetrical form throughout thesechanges, and that this graduation is capable `of being expeditiouslyeffected by the most ordinary skill and with but little or lno trouble.Small dumb-bells of a given weight are sometimesnot so convenient toexercise with as larger ones ot the same weight, though generally thereverse is the case; but this construction fully answers eitherrequirement. For persons beginning to practice withdumb-bells thisarrangement enables them to begin with the lightest weight and graduallyto increase the same by t-he addition from time to time, as may bedesirable, of an extra shell, thus obviating the necessity of having acumbersome set of different instruments.

In casting the spindle a the hollow part, eX- cepting near the ends, maybe made of larger diameter than the diameter of the thread upon thescrew g, in which case it will, of course, be only necessary to cut thenut or thread in the spindle near the ends thereof.

I am aware that it is not new to make dumbbells in sections. Suchconstruction is shown in the United States Patent No. 28,505, granted toD. F. Savage. It is the peculiar construction or manner of confining theparts to--` gether, as herein described, that constitutes 3. Theemployment of the rings k, interposed myinvention'7 and not, broadly,seetionaldumbbetween the handle and shells7 for increasing bells.

I claiml. The series of movable shells, held together and to the spindleor handle by a halved joint on each set of shells, and a screw, g,passing through the center ot' each shell and into the spindle,substantially as set forth.

2. rlhe sectional handle I), made in two parts, ttingupon and detachablefrom a central spindie, a.

the length of the handle, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of April, A.D. 1865.

D. P. BUMPER..`

l Witnesses FRANCIS GoULD, W. B. GLEAsoN.

